(CIVIL RIGHTS.) James Del Rio. Legislative report issued by a Detroit state representative, calling for a march to honor Dr. King. 4 printed pages, 11 x 8½ inches, on one folding sheet, titled "Michigan Legislative Report . . . Will You Be There?"; folds, minor wear and toning. Detroit, MI, 23 June [1968]
James Del Rio (1924-2018) was a long-time Detroit civil rights activist, at this point serving as a state representative; he was later a judge. He had marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. in Detroit's June 1963 Walk to Freedom. After the assassination, he sponsored Michigan legislation to make the Sunday nearest to 23 June an annual "Martin Luther King and Afro-American Freedom March Day." This circular report includes copies of the signed legislation on the internal pages. The front page calls for the first memorial march: "Will You Be There? . . . for the Memorial Registration March held in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King. . . . Bring any person on your block, on your street, or in Detroit who is not registered to vote so that we can march to City Hall and register that day."
Del Rio then makes an unusual call for Black Americans to emulate the Irish Americans of a century before: "In short it's now ballots or bullets. . . . The Irish discovered after they burned & rioted in New York & Boston and found that riots alone would not bring them freedom in this country. They then . . . elected men who were not afraid to speak out for people's rights. They forced America to free them with political power. It worked for them--why not for us?" The rear page promotes Del Rio's accomplishments on other issues.
